To Kelowna through the Quantum Mirror
by FinallyAssimilated
Summary: In another version of the universe, maybe it happens like this...
1. Default Chapter

To Kelowna through the Quantum Mirror  
  
"First Minister," the guard addressed him, in the quiet, understated tones that were so characteristic of Kelownans.  
  
"Yes?" he said, not looking from the window where he stood. Although the colors of the Kelownan landscape were not as bright as that of Earth, it was beautiful in its own subdued right, matching the nature of the Kelownans themselves. He enjoyed it more now than he ever had, knowing that she liked it just as much.  
  
"The Tauri are dialing in, sir; you asked that we alert you just prior to their arrival."  
  
"Yes, thank you," Jonas replied, this time with a smile. He turned and accompanied the guard to the Kelownan gateroom. The scientist and the Jaffa were coming for one of their extended stays, two weeks this time.  
  
The brilliant flash of the wormhole lit up the room; then stabilized. Jonas joined the other members of the greeting party at the bottom of the ramp. The shadowy figures of the SG team stepped through. He smiled at the sight of them.  
  
"Welcome back to Kelowna, Teal'c, Captain Hailey," he said, acknowledging them in the traditional manner of highest rank first. Thought Teal'c was not a member of the Tauri military, his experience and time served granted him this respect.  
  
"First Minister Quinn; it is good to see you again," Teal'c said, with his customary bow and smile. Missions to Kelowna were almost downtime for him; he served mainly as back up for Captain Hailey and to advise on strategy in the continuous battle the planet now faced against the Goauld. Though Earth would not officially interfere with their evolution, in return for sufficient naquadriah, SGC had found alternative ways to assist them. As Teal'c was not officially a member of their Armed Forces, Kelowna could take advantage of his vast knowledge of Goauld ways.   
  
Captain Hailey, as one of the premier scientists in the field of astrophysics, had made this trip often to procure naquadriah and to assist Kelowna in developing the proper safety protocols for their continuing experiments in nuclear physics and with the naquadriah. She felt a sense of fulfillment in furthering their safety mechanisms, knowing that what had happened to Dr. Jackson and the other scientists that fateful day and the tragedy with Dr. Kiernan and his associates, would not happen again. And, Kelownan scientists always had fascinating ideas that she enjoyed exploring with them; it was a challenge to teach them without altering their evolution, one she enthusiastically embraced.  
  
"First Minister," Captain Hailey said, saluting, as was the custom for members of the Armed Forces.  
  
"We're pleased to have you back," Jonas said. "I thought you'd like to see your quarters first, then we can get to work," he continued.  
  
"If you would follow me," the guard said, escorting Teal'c and Captain Hailey to their respective rooms and handing them the pass keys which would allow them to get in and out. Though they were not to leave the Kelownan version of Stargate Command unescorted, their status in the Kelownan community afforded them free reign of the building.  
  
The accommodations were sparse but neat; Teal'c's room was at the end of the hallway and was specially prepared so he could comfortably Kelno'reem. Captain Hailey's room was across from his; walking in to set down her things, she smiled to herself as she noticed the small bouquet of Kelownan wildflowers with the note underneath it.   
  
She looked to be certain the guard had departed before she read it. *I thought you might like these; they reminded me of you - a rare occurrence of beauty on this planet.*  
  
The note continued: *I have missed you.*  
  
She smiled to herself; she had missed him, too. She looked under the pillow; there it was. He had left her the pass key for his on base quarters upstairs.   
  
She remembered the first time she had looked there; he had slipped a note in to her pocket while they were in the lab: *look under your pillow.* When she had looked under the pillow, another note read: *if you would like to see the second most beautiful thing that this planet has to offer, meet me in the conference room at 05:00 hours Earth time.*  
  
Intrigued, she had met him there. The guards were under standing orders to allow the Tauri access to any and all areas of the building at any time; they were ambassadors.   
  
"I know this planet doesn't offer much compared to Earth, but there is one event that transforms it into one of the most beautiful places in the universe," he had said. "I thought you might like to see it."   
  
He looked at her; slightly uncertain. "However," he noted, "the best place to see it is really from my quarters upstairs; I wasn't sure if you would consider an invitation to my quarters inappropriate," he had added, a little hesitantly.  
  
She was charmed by his considerate manner, not to mention his beautiful smile.   
  
She was touched that he would think to offer her this. As part of her guard duty, watching over him while he was on Earth, she had taken him to several places in and around Colorado Springs that she considered particularly beautiful. The time they had spent in the lab together had also given her cause to respect him immensely. She knew she could trust him.  
  
They had taken a back route up to his quarters, where there were several large windows looking out over the Kelownan capital city, the two towers that were the mainstay of the skyline in the background. In the predawn, it was completely dark.  
  
He had set two comfortable chairs in front of the window. "I hope you don't mind, but this event is best when there are no lights on. If you're at all troubled by that, please let me know," he had said quickly.   
  
She smiled at him. "I trust you, Jonas," she said. She only addressed him by his first name when they were completely alone, when she was most at ease with him.  
  
He gestured towards the seats. "Please, sit down," he said. She settled herself in one of the chairs. Jonas turned the lights down; and she heard him in the dark take the seat next to hers.  
  
They waited quietly in the dark for a few moments, until the edges of the sky started to lighten up. The suns were coming up, one at each end of the horizon. The ravages of war had filled most of Kelowna's atmosphere with particles that obscured the natural light and created a layer of darkness over most everything on it.   
  
As the suns made their way over the edges of the planet, their light met, then together at once struck the towers and everything in the capital city, suddenly bathing it in a beautiful, warm light copper color, compliments of the particle layer, blending the harsh edges of the city, making it appear a warm, comforting place to be instead of the austere, darkly efficient center that it normally was.  
  
As she watched, Jennifer felt her breath catch in her throat; she thought she had never witnessed anything quite so beautiful.  
  
Jonas watched her; a smile came over his face as he enjoyed her obvious delight in the sunrise. It was a small thing, but sometimes the best moments were brief, such as this, he thought.  
  
The effect lasted only a few minutes, as the suns continued their upward swing, the city returning to its more muted state as the Kelownan day began.  
  
  
  
"That was incredible," she said in an awed voice.   
  
"Well, you showed me so many beautiful things on Earth while I was there; I really wanted to return the favor," he had said modestly.  
  
She smiled at him. "Thank you," she said demurely. She thought again how touching it was that he had thought of her. A quizzical look came over her face. "Why did you call it the second most beautiful thing on Kelowna?" she asked.  
  
He was charmed by her question; she really didn't seem to know.   
  
"Because when you're here, it is second," he had said, smiling at her, the big beautiful smile she had come to love.  
  
The memory caused her to smile again. She pocketed the card key. She had every intention of taking advantage of it later, other memories now flooding her thoughts. The sunrise wouldn't be the only beautiful thing occurring there the next morning, she thought to herself. 


	2. To Kelowna through the Quantum Mirror T...

Teal'c heard the door open as she discreetly left her quarters to go to his. The thought made the normally stoic Jaffa smile.   
  
He remembered the first time he had discovered their secret. He had been disturbed from his Kelno'reem by a dream; highly unusual for a Jaffa. In the dream, she had been killed in a battle. His rational mind reminded him that this was only a memory and that they had actually survived the battle together, but he was uneasy. He dressed quickly and went across the hall to her room. When he did not find her there, his unease grew and he decided that he should alert Jonas that she was not there. He knew her penchant for working late nights and was concerned that something might have happened to her in the lab.  
  
He had knocked on the door to the First Minister's quarters. Jonas had answered, dressed as if to retire for the evening, Teal'c remembered.   
  
"First Minister Quinn, there is a situation," he had said with just a hint of worry behind his usual stoicism. "Captain Hailey is not in her quarters. I am concerned for her safety." The goauld had been particularly fervent and sly in their attacks at that time; Teal'c wondered if she had been compromised somehow working alone in the lab as he knew she sometimes did.  
  
Jennifer had appeared at the door just then, wearing a garb that, from its size and design, Teal'c knew belonged to Jonas. She had smiled broadly at the big Jaffa; his protective watch over her had always given her a warm, safe feeling and she knew from experience that he epitomized discretion in all matters.  
  
"Thank you for your concern, Teal'c; all is well," she had said to him with a warm smile.  
  
Teal'c had also noticed the look in Jonas' eyes as she had approached the door, and the manner in which he had put his arm around her had not escaped him either. Indeed, all did seem to be well here.  
  
"Then I will bid you both a restful evening, First Minister Quinn, Captain Hailey," he had said, bowing in his customary manner, his smile a shade warmer with the knowledge he had just gained about them. That feelings of this nature could thrive in the midst of galactic warfare eased his warrior's mind a bit. 


	3. To Kelowna through the Quantum Mirror J...

Jonas was busy at his desk with the paperwork that accompanied his current position. Though he had never aspired to a political position, much less this one at the age he was, when he had returned after the war with the goauld began, the Kelownans had urged him to step in after the First Minister was killed in an attack on the compound. His experiences and actions had demonstrated to them he was a true leader, with the courage and intelligence to do the right thing. His sensitive nature gave them assurance he would command wisely.  
  
He didn't hear her open the door, but the sense that there was another person in the room caused him to look up; she was walking towards him, with the big warm smile she usually displayed only when they were alone together. He smiled back at her.  
  
"Hi," he said, as he got up from his desk and walked towards her.  
  
"Hi," she said, a knowing tone to her voice, as she came closer. "Thank you for the flowers."  
  
As they embraced, he held her tight, enjoying the soft, warm feel of her body against his. He loved how they were together; comfortable, loving, warm. Their respective day jobs involved so much war and destruction; the few spare moments that he had with her like this were a considerable solace.  
  
"I missed you," he said softly against her hair.  
  
"I missed you, too," she responded, wrapping her arms tighter around him, the words playing softly against his chest.  
  
They stood there in their embrace a few minutes more, neither wanting to release the other. Finally, they parted, moving over to the comfortable couch that had replaced the chairs in front of the windows of the large room that comprised Jonas' on base quarters.  
  
"So, how are things on Earth?" he asked as they sat down together on the couch.  
  
"Dismal without you, of course," she said with a smile, as she reclined against him in their usual comfortable position, looking out at the Kelownan capital city. Then her face became serious. "The government is pressing us to find more weapon types of technology that they can use, rather than better sources of energy, and solutions to our planet's current problems, so nothing new," she added with a sigh.   
  
She turned to him then with a frown as she asked, "How are things here? We haven't heard from you for some time; we were concerned about the war," she said with a hint of worry in her voice.  
  
He looked at her, the warm feeling only she could elicit came over him again. He knew she worried about him and he had no means of directly contacting her. Kelowna was not advanced enough for interstellar communication, so their only means of contacting Earth was through the Stargate, thereby eliminating the possibility of personal communication between them. The trust and love that existed between them over came this hurdle, but it would never replace the physical presence they longed for.  
  
"We wanted to contact you sooner, but our progress with the experiments and the safety protocols had to be suspended when the Goauld launched their last attack," he sighed with a note of resign in his voice. "We could have used your help, but..." Jonas said with an exasperated tone to his voice.  
  
She took his hand in hers, interlacing their fingers. She looked up at him. "I could stay this time," she said. "I don't have to return to Earth and I could help you fight; then I wouldn't be bound by their policy," she added, a hopeful note to her voice, even though she knew the answer.  
  
He looked at her, the anguished look of a torn man, she thought sadly. He squeezed her hand tight, bringing their clasp up to his face, kissing the back of her hand.  
  
She let go of his hand and caressed his cheek; when he looked at her he noticed the tears in her eyes. He pulled her close to him then, his own tears pricking at the edges of his eyes.  
  
She made the offer every time; but they both knew that her abilities were needed on Earth, as much as his were needed on Kelowna. Truthfully, she was helping the Kelownans more by teaching them proper safety protocols and allowing them to further their own knowledge than she would by putting herself at risk in their war. Even though she was, as Teal'c called her, a formidable warrior, Jonas knew she was all too human and he had to admit to himself that he was selfish in this regard; he didn't want to risk losing her in a senseless battle.  
  
*As if there is a battle that makes sense,* he thought to himself bitterly, reflecting on all that had been lost to battle in his short life. For now, he knew, they would have to content themselves with the time between their work days here on Kelowna.  
  
His mind's eye began to replay a memory from one of her earliest visits. They had been working in the lab late one night in the early part of the Kelownan winter. She had had a look of frustration on her face; she knew that the answers they needed were within reach but she was bound by the Earth policy of non-interference not to give it to them.   
  
He had been equally frustrated; his time on Earth had given him just a glimpse into the possibilities and he yearned to embrace them all, but the Kelownans, like so many humanoid-based cultures, were slow to accept change and new ideas, preferring instead to challenge everything different and shed blood over the clashes of beliefs.  
  
They had decided to retire for the evening; as he had returned to his quarters, he had passed through the conference room and noticed the snow falling. Here on Kelowna, with the particle layer, the snow had a lovely golden color when it first landed and it gave the capital city a beautiful, regal look, unlike the one that it normally had and it wouldn't be long before the particle layer had muted its own lovely effects of the snow as well. Such moments were brief and not to be missed.   
  
On a whim, he had gone to her quarters instead of his own and asked her to leave the compound with him. Those were the early days of his current position and he could still afford to do things like that.  
  
They had walked in the quiet streets watching the beautiful, golden snow blanket everything. It gave the city new life, and it served to bolster both of their spirits with the reminder of possibility.  
  
He would swear later that she had started it, she would only ever admit (always with a mischievous gleam in her eye) that she had simply wanted to test this unusual looking snow to see if it confirmed the same basic laws of physics that held true on Earth, but both would take equal responsibility for the impetuous, passionate kiss that had followed the snow fight, when they had ended up slipping and falling together into the stuff on the front lawn of the two tower building.  
  
He smiled at the memory; holding her here, like this, now, was an even better reminder that in the future lay hope for them all. 


	4. To Kelowna through the Quantum Mirror U...

The two weeks passed in an instant, it seemed. They would now have to return to their separate lives. They had made good progress in their work; Teal'c had spent the entire time teaching the Kelownan Guard techniques for effectively ambushing large numbers of hostile Jaffa and goauld with limited numbers of warriors.  
  
They had spent the last night as the first; together until the dawn, then separating at sunrise to keep the gossip to a minimum. Kelownans by nature were observant, but did not generally engage in gossip, although there were certainly exceptions to this rule. There were some who might try to take advantage of this knowledge for political gain against Jonas, though his constituency generally did not believe that such actions should be taken into consideration in the political arena.  
  
She and Teal'c met in the hallway and proceeded together to greet the Kelownan diplomatic party in the gateroom. Jonas noticed that she had again embraced the air and manner of a warrior, ready to return to her mission work back on Earth. But the memory of her softness would stay with him; hopefully the memory wouldn't have to sustain him as long this time.  
  
As they approached the gate room and the Kelownan diplomatic party, she smiled at him. He cut quite a dashing figure, in his place as the leader of this world; she thought how right he looked there. As much as she would miss being in his arms, she knew he was where he belonged.  
  
As the wormhole established and the Stargate came to life, she saluted him farewell. "Until the next time, First Minister," she said, bravely, he thought to himself. Only he would know the sadness in her eyes and the longing in her tone of voice; it mirrored his own.  
  
"I'm looking forward to it, Captain Hailey," he said. The slightly sultry tone of his voice and the intimate look in his eyes sent tingles down her spine, a wonderful reminder of the previous fortnight; the memories would have to sustain her until the next time.  
  
Teal'c bowed his customary bow. "We will take our leave of you now, First Minister Quinn, until our paths can cross again," he said graciously.  
  
Jonas smiled at the big Jaffa. "Until we meet again, Teal'c," he said warmly. He watched as the pair proceeded up to the wormhole and beyond. The wormhole disappeared, leaving only the gaping ring. The diplomatic party dispersed, leaving Jonas in the gateroom. He sighed; with a heavy heart he turned on his heel and proceeded with the rest of his day. 


End file.
